We talk all the time about cocoa butter and chocolate, but we often forget about their third, intense sibling: cocoa mass or cocoa liquor.
What is cocoa mass or cocoa liquor?
Cocoa mass is the result of refining cocoa nibs into a paste.
In other words, it’s 100% chocolate. No sugar, no vanilla. Just cacao in its purest form.
This is why cocoa liquor is so good at balancing the sweetness of your recipes, especially when you want a stronger chocolate flavor in your confections without the added sugar of dark chocolate.
When and how can you use cocoa mass in your recipes?
I really encourage you to use it in your marshmallows, nougats, and ice creams: it’s so good!
In fact, today’s recipe is a cocoa nib caramel that’s rich, fudgy, and extra chocolatey—thanks to the 37 grams of cacao mass I add to it.
Can you use it in bonbons, though?
You can, but you have to be more strategic.
Cocoa solids or fibers can soak up the moisture of your fillings and dry them over time (if your filling’s moisture content is not between 15-22%).
Cocoa mass has even more non-fat cocoa solids than dark chocolate, so the risk of this happening is even higher.
Not to mention that you’re removing all the sugar from the chocolate, which means you’re also lowering the shelf life of your fillings.
But don’t let this discourage you! I’ve found that the perfect application for cocoa mass in bonbons is when your milk chocolate ganache is just too sweet.
In that case, you can replace 3% of the milk chocolate with cocoa mass and get a ganache with the best of both worlds: a more well-rounded chocolate flavor and great texture.
Have you ever used cocoa mass in your recipes? Let me know.
-Melissa
Recipe Time
Cocoa Nib Chewy Caramels
SHELF LIFE: More than 365 days at 16ºC | YOU’LL NEED: 4 stainless steel bars: 1 cm height | YIELD: About 50 pieces
INGREDIENTS
- Cream 35% fat | 125 g
- Whole Milk | 86 g
- Glucose Syrup | 32 g
- Sea Salt | 1.9 g
- CHEF RUBBER Sorbitol Powder | 14 g
- Granulated Sugar | 171 g
- CHEF RUBBER Liquid Sunflower Lecithin | 2.5 g
- Butter | 34 g
- Baking Soda | 0.6 g
- VALRHONA Cacao Mass | 37 g
- VALRHONA Cacao Butter | 8 g
- VALRHONA Cacao Nibs | 50 g
- Total Weight | 562 g
METHOD
- In a pot, boil cream, milk, glucose syrup, and sea salt. Set aside.
- In a separate pan, melt sorbitol.
- Gradually add the sugar and allow it to caramelize.
- Caramel will be ready when it starts foaming.
- Deglaze with the warm liquid, then add the butter with the soy lecithin, and cook to 110˚C.
- Add the baking soda and continue cooking to 116ºC.
- Off the heat, add the cacao mass, the cacao butter coins, and the cacao nibs.
- Stir vigorously with a hand whisk to emulsify well.
- Pour onto a Silpat, between four stainless steel bars.
- Let cool down completely, ideally in a cold room at 16ºC.
- Cut into rectangles or squares, using a knife, and wrap in cellophane paper wrappers.